The Educational Year-Book for 1880 (Cassell, Petter, and Galpin) shows
a marked advance in arrangement upon its predecessor. A good deal of criticism, not always favourable, was bestowed upon this work, and has been received, we are glad to observe, with the hap- piest result. Education in England, not primary, is in a somewhat chaotic condition, and it tasks all a writer's knowledge to present his account of it in on orderly shape. The editor has surmounted this difficulty with most creditable success. He gives, in their order, descriptions of "The Universities," "The Higher Colleges," and "English Colleges and Schools for Young Men and Boys," this last being subdivided into "A—The Nine Great Public Schools of the Public Schools Commission ;" " B— Other Upper-class Schools, chiefly Proprietary ;" "C—London Companies' Schools for Boys ;" "D—Grammar and Cathedral Schools ;" " E—Middle- class and County Schools ;" "F —Denominational Schools for Boys ;" "G—Special Foundations for Sons of Professional Men." Then follow sections dealing with "Irish Intermediate Schools," "Scottish Secondary Schools," "Female Education," "Examinations," "Professional and Scientific Education," "Associa- tions." This, we take it, is about as good an arrangement as could be made, it being understood that the precedence of place does not imply superiority of merit. B and C, for instance, come before D,
but there are several schools in the D list which are much superior, in every way, to some in the B and C lists. The detailed information about a particular school was very carefully collected in the first edition, and has been still further improved in the second. Messrs. Cassell and their editor may be congratulated on having produced a really satisfactory handbook.
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